1. Field of the Invention
A biorational insecticide and fungicide for plants and trees.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various insects such as lice, ticks, mites, aphides and chiggers attack untreated and unprotected trees and plants. Moreover, fungi left uncontrolled can damage and even destroy plants and trees including crops associated therewith.
In the past, various oils have been used to control insects and mites. Recently, however, renewed attention has focused on the use of oils as a natural substitute for traditional insecticides with attendant toxic and other dangerous side effects.
These oils include horticultural oils that are highly refined petroleum products than can be mixed with water for application for control of target insect and mite pests without deleterious effects. Modern horticultural oils do not include vegetable, fish or whale oils.
Horticultural spray oils are the low toxicity alternative to broad spectrum insecticides. Since the mechanism of insect and mite control with spray oils is by suffocation and/or repellency of egg laying females, there is no requirement for the addition of toxic chemicals. These properties are a valuable and well recognized component of the practice of integrated pest management where oil spraying is intrinsically linked to natural control of pests by predators and parasitoids. Horticultural spray oils are formulated on highly refined clear oil with a minimum of nonionic surfactant. Independent environmental impact studies have shown that D-C-TRON has no detrimental effect on the environment. Mammalian toxicity studies published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine have shown that oils at this refinement level are non-toxic and non-carcinogenic.
Generally, oil sprays are safe to humans. These oil sprays have little, if any, negative effect on wildlife and non-target insects in the environment. Furthermore, oil sprays are less toxic due to the method by which they kill target pests. In particular, the thin film of oil covers the target insect or mite and plugs the spiracles or pores through which the pests or parasites breathe. The cause of death is primarily suffocation. Large, motile insects and animals that breathe by another method are not affected by these oils.
Another advantage of oil applications is the absence of objectionable odors. In addition, oils are relatively inexpensive and significantly less expensive than many insecticides.
Unfortunately, there are limitations to the use of oil treatments. For example, oils are only effective against those pests that are thoroughly coated by the spray solution. This usually means that only small, immobile or slow moving pests that are exposed on the surface of the plant or tree at the time of application will be controlled.
Since oil sprays only work by contracting and covering the target pest, thorough application is essential. Missed surface areas provide a safe refuge for the target pests.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,369 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,389 disclose a non-toxic aqueous pesticide for application on plants and animals comprising at least one surfactant and at least one high terpene containing natural oil. The pesticide is used to effectively control insects and parasites such as darkling beetles, lice, ticks, mites, flies, aphides, mosquitoes and chiggers found on plants and animals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,344 shows a hazard-free method for controlling insects using a non-toxic composition in the form of a fragrance and crystalline particles which puncture directly through the exoskeleton of an insect. In operation, the particles work themselves between the insect's protective body plates and then puncture the exoskeleton permitting entry of the fragrance into the body of the insect. Once inside, the particles absorb up to four times their weight of the vital body fluids of the insect and the fragrance has a neural effect on the insect.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,939 shows a method of treating soil and agricultural crops for controlling worms and nematodes comprising a nonionic surfactant, namely an alkylox-ypolyethyleneoxyethanol used as the sole active ingredient to control fungus, mites, worms, termites, nematodes and other insects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,168 relates to pesticides containing d-limonene as an insect-killing ingredient with surfactants or emulsifiers and water. The pesticide compositions are liquids designed for use as a dip to rid small animals of fleas and ticks, a spray to kill fleas and ticks on small animals and in the kennels of small animals; a spray to kill flies on small animals and in the kennels of small animals; and a spray or liquid to rid household areas of cockroaches and other insect pests.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,710 B1 discloses a water-soluble or water-dispersible material for deposition onto a fabric substrate during a treatment process comprising polysaccharide structure having at least one substituent benefit agent group and optionally, one or more other substituent groups. The polysaccharide structure has one or more regions with at least 3, preferably at least 4 consecutive unsubstituted saccharide rings.